Xavi surprises lone fan at Champions League final in Heineken competition stunt

Xavi Hernandez surprised a competition winner sitting alone at the Puskas Arena during Saturday’s Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, joining him courtside before the pair were upgraded to a Skybox for the remainder of the match.

Forest Robinson had won his place at the final through a competition run by The Padded Seat, in partnership with Champions League sponsor Heineken. As part of the brand’s Fans Have More Friends campaign, Heineken identified the most isolated seat in the stadium and arranged for Xavi to appear and greet Robinson before escorting him to premium seating for the rest of the evening.

“As a player, some of my best memories in football came from sharing big moments with teammates and fans,” Xavi said. “The Champions League Final is the biggest stage in club football, and you never know who the game might bring you together with along the way. It was special to help Heineken turn Forest’s seat into an experience they will never forget, and to show the power football has to connect people who may only have met because of the match.”

Heineken’s Global Head, Nabil Nasser, drew on his own experience to explain the campaign’s premise. “A few years ago, I went to a game with friends, but we were split up in the stadium and I found myself sitting alone among supporters of another team,” he said. “What could have felt like an isolated experience became one of the best I have ever had in a stadium, because I was completely swept up in the passion, humour and energy of the fans around me.”

Xavi’s presence at the final carried an additional layer of history: the former midfielder was part of the Barcelona squad that defeated Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final — the last time the Gunners reached the showpiece before Saturday’s defeat. PSG retained the trophy after winning on penalties in front of an attendance of just over 67,000 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.